


The Human Youkai

by Asharion



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: Action, Adventure, Character Development, Original Characters - Freeform, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-22
Updated: 2016-07-22
Packaged: 2018-07-26 00:09:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,218
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7552543
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Asharion/pseuds/Asharion
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When a young woman's curse is brought to light and forces her from home, she seeks answers in the knowledge of a Miko rumored to have strange powers and understanding of youkai.  Kagome is known for adding odd individuals to her circle of friends, what's one more?  </p>
<p>(Rated Mature, just in case, for coarse language, violence, and adult themes.  OC main characters added.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. No Trespassing Allowed

**Author's Note:**

> I hereby disclaim any rights to the Inuyasha universe, world setting, and characters borrowed from the canon storyline. I do, however, keep claim and reserved rights upon my original characters and literary explorations of the story itself. This disclaimer applies to all ensuing chapters of this tale.

In a shallow bowl formed by the gentle rise of forested land, there lay a small village all but unheard of. Set aside as it were from any of the well traveled roads, they lived in a cheerful isolation broken but occasionally by the odd visitor or forest-dwelling youkai. The simple hovels were sturdy and functional, keeping their owners warm and sheltered through the long winters and shaded during the warm seasons. Wooden shingles were secured from wind by the heavy rocks resting atop them, never removed from their initial use in construction. A shallow river ran from the east, bisecting the valley it was nestled into. Its source came from the foothills of the mountains farther off, spilling down the slopes in a mess of small, fast-moving waterfalls and trickling streams. From it the villagers had drawn irrigation for the rice paddies, and a somewhat successful water mill had been attempted and left unfinished for some months now.

A small herd of horses and cattle grazed in pastures set aside by the riverbank downstream, and the occasional cat could be glimpsed lounging on a cow's back or chasing mice out of the piled hay for feed. Tonight, however, all was silent and still. The villagers slumbered deep in their dreams and the crescent moon hung high in the starlit sky. It was a brightly lit night; all sign of clouds were far off in the distance, leftovers from a storm that had passed early in the evening. A faint breeze awoke, bending the tall grasses in a lazy dance and rustling the leaves of the forest.

High up on the western hilltops, an old woman looked down upon the valley with a gleeful, malicious light in her eyes. Light blue robes with dark trim stood out in contrast against the woodland's dark pallet, and a large green stone set in silver rested heavily against her chest. It glittered in the filtered lighting from the moon, seeming to glow with light from within. Knobby fingers, pale skin stretched tightly over the joints, pulled a deep-bellied jug from a basket upon the elder's back. Stroking the cork of the container with a red painted claw, she settled down on the ground in seiza. Humming quietly to herself, the witch began her work, green eyes staring unblinkingly at the village below.

The guttural chant rose from her thin lips quietly, agitating the peaceful aura of the forest and calling forth shadows darker than the sky the stars hung from. Swaying slightly as she repeated the words to her song, the witch flipped the cork off her jug and pointed down to the slumbering village.

A thick fog rolled down the wooded slopes to the open grassland and began to creep over the ground to encircle the village. In short time the small buildings were surrounded, and the fog began to seep into the paths between houses and swallow their forms into the white haze. The structures were turned into indistinct shadows, becoming barely visible. A black, snake-like creature drifted through the air at a languid pace, pausing at the doors and windows of the houses, inspecting them. Soon, others took form beside it, and they spread out across the village. Red eyes glowed brightly as they slipped inside unguarded homes. Those that held well maintained wards against evil on their doors were ignored if a way around could not be found. An unwarded window left open proved fatal to one household.

Inside the house nearest to the hills, a shadow snake circled the air around a slumbering old woman. As she turned and yawned widely in her sleep, the demon darted down into her throat and back out again, effortlessly carrying away her stolen soul in its jaws.

The mass murder was silent and swift. The village became a ghost town, shrouded in the fog now filled with the glowing red eyes of the soul stealers, and the brighter and much larger white orbs of souls held captive. Up on the hillside, the witch sang her chanting with pride and joy, eagerly anticipating the rush of power she would be entitled to upon consumption of her successful harvest.

It was in the house on the farthest end of the valley, past the cattle pens and perched atop a lonely hill with a lush garden of flowers and herbs, that things went awry. A shadow snake coiled itself around the house thrice, confused at the dormant aura pulsing from within the house. It was not human, but its owner was not awake. The apparition twisted once more in the air, before slithering underneath the hanging tarp in the doorway. The house it had entered was cozy, suitable for a small family, but the snake found only one being asleep within. Drifting through the air it hovered above the girl's head, waiting for the opportune moment to strike.

The witch's chant was interrupted by her own loud shriek of alarm as the entire village was lit suddenly by a blinding red light that spread out across the valley, viciously shoving out the fog and consuming the conjured snakes. The souls, unclaimed, drifted back to their owners who continued on dreaming, still asleep in blissful ignorance. The witch scrambled back, almost dropping her clay jug in her haste. Gray hair snagged on the branches of a nearby shrub as she bolted to her feet and backed up. A red dome loomed over the village, thrumming with power and almost thick enough to hide the sheltered homes within from view. When it remained in place and did not extend out further, she calmly pulled her braid from the spindly branches it had snagged on, then retreated. She remained observing from afar, senses keen and a few subtle spells cast about herself to warn of approaching threats.

When dawn broke and the sun's light touched the sky in warm colors, chasing away the cool tones of night, the witch withdrew into the shadows as she watched the red barrier dissolve.


	2. It's Totally a Trap

Mira greeted the day with a yawn and a lazy stretch, looking down at her hands in time to watch as lethal claws shrank back into dull, plain old fingernails. A glance around the dark hut revealed nothing as to the time of day except, perhaps, 'very early.'

"Nng… What a crazy dream," she mumbled to herself as she shook off her blankets and rolled off of the sleeping mat. Something about dark, flickering shadows and red eyes, but the memories of the dream were already becoming fuzzy and indistinct. Staring up at the rafters of the small house, she pondered what to do first: eat, bathe, or work? When the growl of her stomach outmatched a whiff of her armpit, Mira decided breakfast was in order.

It didn't take long for her to get a small fire going, and set a pot of cold stew over it to reheat. The woman watched the flames flicker and the wood crack in silence, before tentatively reaching out to them. The flames seemed to dance towards her outstretched fingers for a moment, before she snatched her hand back and stood abruptly.

"It must be getting close to that time," she murmured, and padded quietly on bare feet to the other end of the room. Mira stooped and picked up the short, folded yukata, shrugging on the deep blue fabric over her under wraps. The yukata was decorated with three black stripes chased with white that began under her breasts and curved around her hips, then ended after passing over her rump. White trim stood out in sharp contrast to the dark fabric, and a faded Yin and Yang was embroidered across her shoulders on the back. She dressed quickly, then set about untangling her unruly hair. By the time she'd finger-combed the black mane into a more presentable state, the stew was starting to bubble.

She sat in comfortable silence, having dished herself out a generous portion of the pot's contents, and ate without rush. When finished, Mira banked the fire and collected her dirtied bowl and leather bag, and headed out.

Blue eyes looked up at the pink and orange hues fanning out above the treeline, before she turned her gaze back down to the narrow dirt path bare feet carried her across. Through the tall grasses outside the village she wove, down to the river. Its cheery gurgling belied none of last night's danger, and a blissfully ignorant Mira continued on her way towards the woods. Stopping at the border between the grassland and thick forest growth, the young woman turned to look back at the town. No one else was out of their house yet, but she knew the farmer's sons would soon be out of the house and tending to the livestock. With a pleased grin at the quiet calm, she turned and skipped off into the dappled shadows.

* * *

"Find the Miko of the village and give her this," the witch instructed as she passed the demon a wrapped pastry. "You only get paid if she eats it, just one bite will do," the witch reminded, and dangled the leather cord strung with coin from a gnarled finger. With a toothy grin, she winked. "You can do that, aye?"

"Tch. Piece of cake," the demon replied, then reached out and took the parcel from her with a single clawed hand. "First, I gotta get me a new skin. Maybe one of them hunters…" He sat back on his haunches, reptilian face scrunched in thought. He had no eyebrows, but the muscle where they would otherwise have been was pulled together in a deep furrow, and his lips inched back to reveal glints of white fangs. The lizard demon was small, no bigger than a young child, and covered in a dull spattering of red scales. His underbelly was a sickly yellow color stained by dirt and grime; the witch thought that if the creature thought to bathe more often, he might actually clean up to something quite pleasing to look upon. "Hama, won't the Miko sense my presence?" he asked with a frown.

"Are you scared of a mere human? The worst she can do is give you a sunburn."

"How come _you_ ain't the one goin' down there, then?" he retorted sharply, eying her with suspicion. Hama inwardly groaned; he had been lured in readily enough by the promise of gold, but the pesky runt was smarter than she'd thought. Perceptive, too.

"Fool, I cannot step foot into the sunlight," she reminded him, casting a glare towards the shrouded entrance to the cave she had taken shelter in. "And her powers are annoying enough to get in the way of my task… I can't visit the Miko at night to trick her - how suspicious would that look, hm?"

"Tch, fine, fine," he muttered, appraising her with a slow look up and down, before flicking out a forked tongue, and scampering off.

Hama watched him go with narrowed eyes, before a smile crept slowly across her face. When no search parties or further retaliation had accosted her, Hama had come to the conclusion the Miko was trying to lure her into a trap. Well, she would not be so easily caught!

"Hmph. Play your games, wretched mortal… Your hours are numbered," the old hag muttered, settling back against the dirt wall of her cave and tugging her gray shawl closer around her shoulders. "Let's see what your next move is," she murmured, letting her eyes drift closed to enter a light slumber, keeping one eye cracked open.


	3. Oh, Hello There

"Mmm, just what I needed to start the day off," Mira crooned as she wrung out her hair, lounging on a moss covered boulder. The sun had only just cleared the hills, and warm light drifted down in hazy rays to the forest floor. She admired the way it sparkled against the stream that branched off of the larger river, and the way it backlit the leaves overhead. Everything seemed so surreal, as if it was glowing from within rather than from the clever sun. She spent a fair amount of time laying back against the rock, feet dangling off the edge over the water, and watching the light play with the foliage. Occasionally a fuzzy puff would float along her line of sight, carrying a seed from some plant or another off to it's new roost.

Now, however, Mira was preoccupied combing out her limp hair. After flopping it back over her shoulder and fluffing it out to dry faster, she began her stretches. Mira stood beside the boulder and swung her leg up on top of it, pointing her foot as she slid her hands down her leg to her toes. She moved slowly, exhaling into the stretch and inhaling as she pulled back, before repeating the gesture. When she switched legs, it was on the second stretch that Mira had a small panic attack.

As she rose from pressing her leg down to the rock and feeling the tendons in her legs flex in half-hearted protest, blue eyes were met by a pair of hungry-looking golden orbs. Mira froze in place, staring over at the lizard-like beast that had just crawled out from between the tree's shadows. The dappled lighting played over his bumpy hide of grimey scales, making him look more fearsome than he probably deserved. Long black claws sunk into the ground as he took a step forward, unblinking eyes locked onto her face. His tail slid over the dirt and mosses, the movement loud in the sudden quiet that surrounded them. Mira belatedly realized that the birds had stopped singing some time ago, along with the distant rustles of small critters.

"Um, hello," Mira said to break the silence, body tensed.

"Mmmm, you're a bit scrawny, but you'll do nicely," the demon hissed, a gleam in his eyes as he took another slow step forward, head slowly tilting.

"Whatever it is, I am quite certain I want no part of it," Mira said in a rush, swinging off her leg from the rock and jumping back. She stumbled, grabbing her leather bag from the ground just as the demon leapt over the boulder towards her with a hiss. Claws outstretched and jaws opened wide, the demon growled loudly.

"AEEEIIIIIII!" Mira screamed, swinging her bag through the air. She felt it connect with the side of the beast's head in a heavy thud, before she took off running towards the village. "YOUKAI! _YOOOOUKAAAAAI!"_ she shrieked, risking a look back over her shoulder as she ducked under a low-hanging branch. The demon was hot on her heels, and gaining quickly.

"Get back here, scrawny runt!" he hissed, hoping up over a log Mira had just cleared. She felt his claws rake lightly along her back, effortlessly gliding through cloth and skin and leaving shallow cuts in their wake. Alarmed and panicking, Mira put on another burst of speed. There was a growing warmth spreading through her limbs, and she could only assume it was the adrenaline was coursing through her veins. She could hear the drum of her heartbeat pounding away erratically in her ears, and the pain of his claws was all but numbed in the rush.

"I am _not_ becoming demon chow!" Mira cried, ducking underneath a branch as her assailant leapt on overhead. She skidded to a halt, satchel hanging limp from her hand as the demon stood between her and the bright light of the open valley a short distance away.

"You're pretty fast for a human," the demon drawled, licking it's chops slowly as it crept forward on all fours. "But you're not _that_ fast," he finished, flashing her a wicked grin. Mira stared at the rows of needle-like teeth, and felt her heart drop into her stomach. Her fist tightened on the leather strap of her bag, the weight of the river-rocks she had collected during her bath giving little comfort.

Her gaze flicked above the red lizard's head to the light beyond; she was so close. If only she could get past him and into the open, the others might finally see the danger and come to her aid.

It all happened very fast. Mira barely had time to scream; as soon as she had glanced away from the hungry youkai, he took two swift steps and pounced for her. Mira threw out her hands on reflex, the bag landing at her feet with a heavy thud. Eyes clenched shut, she waited to feel the claws sink into her flesh, clinging to a vain hope she would wrestle herself free. As indignation, fear, and a wild desperation collided within herself, she hardly noticed the strange warmth that had spread across her body flare up with frenzied heat.

When the ear-splitting shriek filled the air and soaked it with the sounds of agony and fear, Mira thought for a moment it was from her. It took only a skipped heartbeat for her to realize that the youkai hadn't even reached her; she opened her eyes, and found she was surrounded in a small dome of glowing red energy. The youkai that had attacked her was scrambling back, his right arm completely mangled. Mira gaped; he was burnt horribly, half his face twisted in a grotesque bubbling of burnt flesh and scales, the eye clenched shut. Some of his injuries were steaming, and an awful hiss permeated the air alongside his foul stench. The malicious fury his gaze turned on her made Mira take an involuntary step back, even as the evil creature scampered off back into the woods without a second glance.

"Tsuintama-san!" a man's voice cried out. Mira looked back to see several men running into the treeline, each carrying some farm implement that doubled for both plant and youkai removal purposes. One of them had a bow, arrow notched at the ready. The first man, her neighbor Bosan whose sons tended the cows, came to an abrupt halt in front of her, mouth agape.

"Tsuintama...san…" he breathed, staring at the glowing red barrier still surrounding the girl within. By now the others had caught up, and the five men stood back, eyes wide. Mira watched their expressions anxiously; there was awe, which was flattering and unexpected, shock, which was completely expected, and fear… which was also expected, but made Mira nervous. "You... have Miko powers?" he breathed, and the steadily forming look of greedy delight scared Mira more than his expression of fear had.

"Tsuintama-san, what happened?" another asked, hanging back as the red dome slowly began to dissolve. Mira watched it go with regret and fascination. It had been comforting to sit inside the warm red glow, separated from the dangers of the outside world. She felt… exposed.

"There… There was a youkai, he chased me," she responded after a brief delay. Her voice came out faint, so Mira repeated herself, but louder. "I didn't kill him, but he's badly burnt."

"What kind of youkai?" the eldest of the group asked from beside Bosan, stepping forward and lowering the scythe held in one grisly hand.

"L-lizard, he had red scales, and yellow eyes. He wasn't very big, but he was fast, and…" she trailed off as Bosan walked over and held out a hand to help her stand. She grabbed her bag with her off-hand as she clasped his in her other, and let him pull her up to her feet. Mira winced; now that the adrenaline rush was dying down, she could feel the pain of her burning muscles from the reckless run, and the sting of the claw marks.

Blood had soaked her back, and she could feel it starting to drip down the back of her legs. Bosan must have noticed, too, because Mira heard him gasp.

"You're hurt! Yomata, take her to Hira-sama to get these seen. Thank the kami they're not worse. You three, come with me. If he's injured he can't have gone far; better we get him now in the daylight than wait for him to come back."

"Be careful!" Mira cautioned, watching the men rush past her. They didn't have to ask which way he had gone; the heavy tracks in the dirt and the trampled ferns was telling enough.

"Right then, let's get you taken care of, ne?" Yomato stepped up to her. One of Bosan's sons, he had his father's height and eyes, but clearly took after his mother. High cheekbones and an angled jaw, he looked a few years younger than he really was because of smooth and surprisingly unblemished skin. The slender artist's hands were covered in rough callouses from a life of manual labor.

"I can walk," Mira said before he could ask, and gave a half-hearted grin. "They look worse than they are, really. It's not very deep."

"Well, keep dawdling here and you'll lose enough blood to paint a house. C'mon, I'll leave you off at Hira-Sama's and get you a clean Yukata. Dad still has…" he trailed off, looking away from her as they started to walk out of the woods. Mira replied in a soft voice.

"I am grateful to your Okasan, I think she would be happy knowing she was able to help." The words seemed to cheer Yomato up some, and he nodded his head. His shaggy black topknot bobbed with the movement. Mira watched as he put his hunting bow over his shoulder, ignoring the sharp pain in her back as she walked.

"Ah, well… I am sure she would be, I just wish Otosan would… It's not good for him, holding on like that," he said with a sad sigh. "I sometimes worry her spirit isn't able to move on, as tight as he clings."

"She was a strong woman; if she lingers, it is by choice. I am sure she would wish him comfort." Mira felt out of her comfort zone, speaking of the man's mother. She had not known her well, but she did remember the kind and gentle woman. She'd taught Mira how to sew and dress a carcass for cooking, among other things, while her own mother was away traveling.

"Yeah… Hey, how did you do that?" he asked, looking back at Mira as he led the way up the winding dirt path towards the collection of huts. Mira accepted the topic change without question.

"The barrier?" She asked, feeling her face flush. "I… I don't know, it just - It just sort of happened," she admitted. "One second I thought I was demon chow, and the next… He was screaming in pain from hitting it."

"Wow. We'll have to find a proper Miko to train you! Just imagine how safe our village will be, if you can roast youkai on the spot."

"I… I suppose," Mira agreed reluctantly. Yomato fixed her with a scrutinizing look as they passed a stunted tree.

"I'd give my left leg for that kind of power. How can you not want to use it?"

"I didn't say that, I just… It's a lot to take in, you know?"

"If anything you should be celebrating. You went from ordinary farm girl to magic Miko prodigy in a day!" His bright smile was contagious, and Mira realized he was trying to lift her mood. Not wanting to disappoint his efforts, she offered a tentative smile in return, even if all she could think of was just how wrong he was. Ordinary was something that only existed for her in the daylight, and only so long as the others believed it was true. So long as they never saw her after sundown, Mira was confident in keeping up that illusion. It was everything her mother had worked for to establish and protect, to keep her safe. To keep both of them safe, really.

"Well, if we find someone I can apprentice to, at least," she conceded, breaking free of the heavy thoughts before they could consume her focus entirely.

His victory was small, but he looked pleased at it. They crested the hill and passed between the first two buildings, a small storage shed and a run-down chicken coup no longer in service. It wasn't long before they were greeted by a nervous looking farmer, his wide hands white-knuckling the pitchfork he held tight against his chest.

"Is it dead? Who died? We all heard the screams," he said anxiously.

"No, but it will be," Yomato replied, before carefully placing a hand on Mira's shoulder as she stepped up beside him. "Our young Miko just about fried the filth. No casualties for us today!"

"Miko…?" the man repeated, turning a bewildered gaze to her.

"Aye! Once she learns to use her powers, we'll never have to fear another demon stray again! Dad and the others are out hunting what's left of the beast." He laughed, and the tense anxiety partially left the other man's shoulders. As their fears were tentatively lifted, Mira's heart sank. The last thing she wanted was to be put in a spotlight. She had made a careful routine of remaining in the background of daily life.

The farmer looked at the young woman beside Yomato with a newfound respect, before noticing the blood dripping slowly into the soil. As he did, Mira's guide was already explaining he was taking her to the healer, and that they had to be off. The farmer stepped aside without question, and off they went. She heard him take off at a run, shouting the news to someone else nearby.

Mira kept quiet as they passed through the village, only offering a nod or shake of her head and an occasional short reply if necessary. Not stopping again, they passed through quickly, her injuries a convenient excuse to make haste. She found herself glad for it; the reluctantly appointed Miko had no desire to stay and answer a myriad of questions and praise from the townsfolk. Yomato, on the other hand, was more than happy to talk and walk. He spread the news like a depraved gossiper. Some took the news with dubiousness, but most latched onto the story with frightening ease; one look at the bloody mess of her yukata, and soon the story had been spun from a simple accident into a full fledged battle against numerous demons.

It was with much relief Mira slipped inside Hira-Sama's large hut, leaving Yomato outside to continue regaling villagers with glorified ear-candy.

The old woman _tutted_ as she gave Mira a once-over, directing her to sit beside the fire as she put a pot of water over it to heat. The younger woman shrugged the ruined Yukata to her hips and lay down belly-first on the floor, and the healer set to work. Clean rags washed away the blood. Mira had not lied; they truly did look worse than they actually were. The shallow cuts were long and bloody, raking down her shoulder blades to either side of her spine.

"Not very deep, but rather wide - I think stitches would be best… As much as it hurts now, it'll hurt far worse after this scabs over. You must be careful not to agitate the wounds. I will have Hikira-san check on you at your house."

"Once they're wrapped up, I will be fine to manage on my own." Mira's attempted refusal was met with a dismissive snort.

"Nonsense. Hikira-san will help you change the wrappings and watch for infection. Can't have you keeling over after the time I'm about to spend stitching you up," she quipped.

With an inward groan, Mira consented to her fate quietly. She would just ensure Hikara-san visited her before sundown. If it was after… Well, she'd just be creative. Perhaps she'd go to Hikira first, to keep control over the timing of a visit.

The wounds were cleaned and the healer quietly prompted Mira for information on the event that had caused her wound. Hira's questioning about her recently discovered Miko powers was short-lived due to the woman's lack of information herself. By the time she was finished telling what precious little she knew - the warm feeling that had spread, and the awful burns the youkai had suffered - Hira was ready to begin her work in earnest.

The young woman clamped her teeth down on the stick she was offered, and dug her nails into the cloth of her rumpled Yukata. Hira was halfway down the first claw mark before the old woman paused to give her a moment of respite.

"You have an unfortunately high pain tolerance, Tsuintama-san. If you fainted, you'd not need to bear the pain."

"Nng," was the only given reply. Mira wished she _would_ faint - it was enough to make her dizzy, and exhaustion wracked her body from wave after wave of tingling agony punctuated by a sharp sting. She wondered how the samurai could put up with it all; she was ready to toss in the flag the moment the needle pierced her skin.

Hira clucked her tongue as her young charge did eventually black out near the end, giving into the pain of the needle as the seamstress pulled the skin back together with neat, tidy stitches. She cleaned the wounds once more and applied a gooey clear salve, before carefully wrapping the woman's chest in clean bandages. Yomata had stopped by early on to deliver the clean yukata, which Hira set beside her charge for when she woke. The elder removed the bloodied blue rags, and pulled a thin blanket over her. When Hikira stopped by, she sent the woman off with Mira's soiled clothes to clean and mend.

Thereafter she resumed her daily routine, and waited for the lass to wake. Her thoughts drifted from one thing to another, but Hira often paused to wonder at the meaning and origin of the tattoo on her charge's back.


	4. My Friend, the Witch Doctor...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been terribly prolific in my freetime, so here's another chapter to munch on. I'll be going on a vacation camping and traveling to another state soon, so the early updates should make up for ~2 weeks I'll be gone ;)

Mira awoke some hours later, late in the evening. At first she was frightened, not remembering where she was and fearful she had slept through the night. Her nerves tensed as her pain increased, and Hira soon came to her side to help her sit up.

"Drink this, it will help with the pain and keep you from falling ill." The old woman pressed a ceramic cup to Mira's lips, and she downed the nasty-tasting medicine with a wrinkled nose. It was like eating dirt and grass and something kind of minty added as a joke of flavor. Before she could say as much, Hira pressed an empty bowl into her hands. Mira sat quietly as the healer ladled thick soup smelling of onion, carrot, and something sweet. Her mouth watered as she spotted the chunks of precious meat mingling with the vegetables in the thin broth.

"Thank you very much, Hira-sama," she murmured. Mira waited for the old woman to have her own bowl dished up, before she dug in. She found herself ravenous, cleaning out her bowl faster than she'd meant to. At Hira's insistence on a second helping, the girl blushed and accepted. Out of politeness she forced herself to eat slow, struggling to take time to savor each bite.

"Hmph, it's good you have an appetite. Eat well and you'll heal faster," the elder advised with a sagely nod of her head. Mira returned it with a smile.

"I shall, Hira-sama. Oh… Have the men returned?" she asked, looking once at the door before looking down at herself; the white bandages clung to her chest like a second skin, binding her breasts nearly flat. Every flex of her muscles made her back protest in a bout of stabbing needles and stretching skin. She could feel every time a partially formed scab was split open by her movements, and loathed the skin-crawling sensation of the stitches strictly holding everything shut.

"Mmm, they returned some while ago. Another search party has gone out, but they lost the trail. The youkai either grew wings and flew, or suddenly became very light on his feet." Mira frowned at the woman's words.

"They didn't find him? He was badly injured, there's no way he could have vanished without a trace." Hira shrugged in reply, finishing off her bowl of soup with relish.

"I couldn't say, young Miko. They lost his trail near the river. Perhaps he jumped in?"

"Maybe, he was good at pouncing." She shuddered, remembering the long teeth and outstretched claws.

"You should get dressed, Yomato left a change of clothes for you."

Mira followed Hira's gaze to the folded yukata nearby. She nodded to the old woman and pivoted in place where she sat, scooting over to pick it up. Carefully she stood and unfolded it, and clenched her jaw as she shrugged into the dark green fabric. A deep maroon obi was tied with the help of Hira, who was mindful of Mira's injuries.

"Thank you," she said again after Hira had finished tying it off. "If there is ever anything I can do to repay you Hira-sama, please ask. I'll do my best to return the favor."

Hira smiled. Mira's heart sank with realization even before the woman opened her mouth.

"Apply yourself to your studies in earnest, young Miko, and I will be satisfied."

She couldn't bring herself to answer, afraid of what her voice might sound like if it cracked or wavered. Instead Mira only nodded, her look of poorly concealed terror entirely misunderstood.

* * *

"And I'm telling _you,_ that girl ain't no ordinary girl!" the demon snapped, then howled as the old hag treating his wounds pressed her thumb into a particularly raw patch of exposed flesh. The healing salve smelled sweet and oily, mingled with some kind of dark spice. It burned his nostrils and made his eyes water, but the witch seemed unaffected.

Hama harrumphed, relenting on the pressure with satisfaction at his submissive whimpering. Clucking her tongue as a gnarled hand plucked up the shallow wood bowl she had mixed the medicine in, she answered.

"Of course not, Miko's with the gift of power, however slight, are unusual."

The lizard wriggled on the stone floor of the cave he was sprawled upon, and hissed. He cocked his mangled head to the side to stare at her with his good eye, yellow eyes molten. They glowed dimly in the shadowed enclosure.

"Witch, you are - ooowwWWWWW! - missing my _point!"_ he seethed, tail twitching in agitation. Claws dug deep into the hard stone. "I ain't never seen no Miko that uses red barriers and smells like youkai!"

Hama paused for the first time, beady green eyes narrowing at the lizard. Her hand stilled, resting against the burnt hide with uneven scales that pricked against her palm.

"She smells of other youkai?" she asked, voice unnaturally even. The lizard youkai under her care hissed and wriggled to shake his head.

"Not other youkai, dense one - _she_ smells of youkai! She got youkai all over her base scent, an' I sure of it."

"A hanyou?" Hama mused, frowning. She resumed her ministrations, finishing smearing the sickly colored green goop, and began applying thin strips of skinned flesh of another youkai unfortunate enough to cross her. They sizzled and puckered on contact, then began melding together and forming themselves to the lizard's body. He tried to crane his head back to see what she was doing, but only ended up hissing in pain and collapsing in defeat to it.

"She doesn't smell like no hanyou, she just… weird, Hama. She's… weird. Smell like a human, but also smell like a youkai." He paused, something clicking in his mind with enough surprise to cause his body to stop shuddering and twitching for a few moments. Impatient, the witch tapped a painted claw against a shiny red scale. He started from his thoughts.

"I was just thinkin' that… Maybe she mated with a youkai? I wasn't really payin' attention to it much before she went and fried me, but that could be it."

"You are saying that another youkai guards this pathetic village, over _her?"_ Hama asked, incredulous.

"Old woman, you dense? Can't you tell a youkai's aura from a Miko?" The witch rewarded his insolence by digging her thumbnail underneath a partially torn up scale, and wrenched it the rest of the way off.

" _Some_ beings are not so gifted with such… sensitivities," she explained in a flat tone. "Mind your tongue, beast, else I make it the next ingredient in a spell."

"Just finish fixin' me," he snapped, though with decidedly less aggression. Hama decided she was satisfied by the healthy level of dejection in his tone; he had submitted to her.

"I'll do more than fix you," Hama crooned, making the small youkai crane his neck again to look at her in wary confusion. The old woman's green eyes were glowing with an inane light. Between thumb and forefinger she held up a glittering pink crystal, no bigger than a rose thorn. It had a dull sheen to it, marking the once pure shard as tainted. "You will capture the youkai's mate, and bring her here. Do well, and I might let you keep this for your efforts."

The lizard youkai did not have time to protest before the sharp splinter of power was shoved into his side amidst newly lain skin.

**Author's Note:**

> Hello!  
> Been a while since I have published anything online, though I've certainly kept myself busy writing the past few years. You've the fantastical Forthright to thank for inspiring me to bring out my dusty Inuyasha fanfiction story to post. I've shared this tale on one other fanfiction website, I wanted to give it a shot here on AO3, I really love the site layout.
> 
> I intend to keep updates coming week or bi-weekly.  
> And the more reviews I get encouraging this, the more I'll be motivated to keep up on the story. Let me know what you think, and how you came across the fic. Chapters will range from drabble length to sturdy chunks.
> 
> There will be little for author notes for the coming chapters.  
> If it is a popular request, I will make a forum or something for story explanations and public replies to reviews later on, should it be desired. I dislike their clutter at the beginning of every chapter, but I've never minded them at the very beginning.
> 
> I have (almost) no idea where this story will lead...  
> I write as I go! I keep a loose plot in mind, and ideas of the characters I wish to draw into play, but for the most part I set the stage and turn the characters loose, writing what I think is interesting, funny, or otherwise. I write this story for my enjoyment first - but it delights me to share it with others, if they find it to be their cup of tea.
> 
> I can say, it will have romance. Caaaaan you feeeeel the looooove toniiiiight...
> 
> OCs will be liberally used,  
> I fully intend to use cannon characters from the original anime, but they will come into play... sometime. My purpose in writing this is to have fun exploring the plot opportunities and the exciting world setting. I have not fully decided if i want to do an OC/Canon pairing with my ever favorited Sesshomaru, but there will be Inuyasha/Kagome, and of course Miroku/Sango.
> 
> This is soooo not historically accurate.  
> Please feel free to offer advice and any pointers on explaining things, but do not read expecting everything to be historically / contemporarily / culturally real-world accurate, or you will be much disappoint. Enjoy it as the just-for-entertainment fantasy setting it is, ne?
> 
> Artwork!  
> I will post links on my profile. I have some illustrations in mind for the story, please, do check them out as they are posted!


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